Curved acrylic decorated article

ABSTRACT

A curved acrylic photographic article and process for making same comprising of an optically clear acrylic layer and an adjacent synthetic organic polymer containing both light scattering particulate and diffused disperse dyes. The layered article being thermodynamically formed into a curved or other shape immediately subsequent to receiving a graphic decoration by dye diffusion thermal transfer.

This application claims the benefit of filing priority under 35 U.S.C.§119 and 37 C.F.R. § 1.78 of the co-pending U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 62/112,114 filed Feb. 4, 2015, for a Thermal Transfer PrintedPolymeric Phone Case Insert, and co-pending U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 62/112,119 filed Feb. 4, 2015, for a Curved Acrylic Photo, aswell as pending U.S. Non-Provisional application Ser. No. 15/014,855filed Feb. 3, 2016 for a Curved Acrylic Decorated Article. Allinformation disclosed in those prior filed applications are incorporatedherein by reference.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to dye sublimation transferprinting onto synthetic organic polymers and polymeric articles. Ingreater particularity, the invention relates to the production of acurved acrylic panel decorated by dye-sublimation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of imprinting design onto articles of manufacturer usingdye-sublimation, images are transferred from a carrier medium using heatand pressure to activate the printed dyes, causing them to turn gaseousthrough sublimation from their solid state and to subsequently diffuseinto a softened polymer matrix under the influence of heat and pressure.For example, an early patent disclosing a dye sublimation transfer waspresented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,591 issued to Devries. Anothersublimation example is shown in a method of imaging a ceramic mug asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,684 issued to Kramer.

Certain fibrous materials such as polyester fabric and certain syntheticorganic polymers such as acetyl, polycarbonate, and nylon can accept thediffusion of sublimable or disperse dyes directly and have no need to becoated before receiving the image. However, their natural ability toaccept the diffusion of the dye does not ensure long term persistence ofthese dyes and often the image will blur or fade over time.

For this reason, and to render articles suitable for dye sublimationdecoration on persistent, long-term hosts, synthetic organic coatingsare typically formulated and employed to pre-coat the substrate beingdecorated prior to the transfer of the image. An example patentdisclosing such coatings used prior to the sublimation of images ontoceramic tiles is U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,250 issued to Durand.

One article that uses a transferred image by a process ofdye-sublimation is acrylic blocks. The thickness of these acrylic blocksis typically around 1″ in order to position the block in a stablefashion without an additional base and for easy viewing of anydecorations that might be applied to the block, such as photographs. Dueto the ease at which larger panels can be knocked over, these blockshave been available in dimensions of up to 8″×10″. Panels with athickness of greater than 1″ are not generally decorated due to highcost.

One advantage of acrylic blocks is that its flat, polished edge forms areflective plane within the block and causes an appealing opticaleffect. Another advantage is that the acrylic can be fabricated from“sheet-stock” on a just-in-time inventory basis where the larger coatedsheet can be cut down as needed into various sizes immediately prior toshipping a decorated product.

However, a disadvantage of acrylic articles is that a one inch thickacrylic is not only expensive but heavy, and the stability of a 1 inchbase limits the potential height of an acrylic article. Thinner acrylicpanels can be offered as a solution, however they require a stand tosupport them and the thinner they are more the susceptible to warpingduring manufacturing. Adding weights to maintain a flat shape duringmanufacturing can be used, but such weights can lead to surface damageof the acrylic.

In response, another article that has become popular in recent years fordecorating-curved glass media. Curved glass is transparent and has acoating applied onto the outer side of the curve allowing an image to beviewed through the glass. Also, current techniques and formulationsallow for images to be viewed from both sides. Hence, glass media havebecome popular for gifts and photo displays, and often are decorated forsuch uses.

The advantage of utilizing glass is that the glass can be curvedeliminating the need for a base, and glass does not require asignificant thickness with thicknesses of 0.1875″ typical. Moreover,glass can be formed into a curved shape and can therefore act as its ownsupport on a flat surface, thereby not requiring an independent standlike a thin acrylic article might require. Other advantages include theability for coated curved glass to be heated without warping.

However, some disadvantages to curved glass exist, namely a relativelyhigh weight, the potential for easy breakage, and safety concerns in ahome environment, especially when young children are present.Maintaining a just-in-time inventory is also challenging formanufactures due to uncertain shipping times from internationalsuppliers of glass blanks. Custom decorators must therefore invest insizable inventories of each size if they are to be able to respond torapid surges in demand, such as during holiday seasons or during popularphoto demands, which further exposes the manufacture to risk if excessproduct inventory remains unsold.

Hence, both glass and acrylic articles each have their own advantagesand disadvantages. However, curved glass has an additional factor whichlimits its acceptance in the marketplace. Curved glass experiences amuch longer time to transfer a dye-sublimation image onto the glassarticle. The transfer of an image by dye-sublimation typically requires7-12 minutes per image depending upon the process employed the thicknessof glass, and coating composition. Acrylic does not suffer from thislimitation. Therefore, it would be desirable to use acrylic as a giftarticle if the acrylic could be curved like glass, but also besusceptible to the application of a dye-sublimation image in the curvedshape in a relatively rapid manufacturing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In summary, the invention comprises a process for applying a dyesublimation image to a curved plate of acrylic in a commerciallyreasonable time period. The process yields a curved acrylic photographicmedia comprising of an optically clear acrylic layer and an adjacentsynthetic organic polymer containing both light scattering particulateand diffused disperse dyes. The layered article being formed into acurve or other shape immediately subsequent to receiving a graphicdecoration by dye diffusion thermal transfer.

Other features and objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from a reading of the following description as well as astudy of the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An invention incorporating the features of the invention is depicted inthe attached drawings which form a portion of the disclosure andwherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional diagram of a coated acrylic substrate;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional diagram of the coated substrate shown inFIG. 1 positioned within a heat press in the process of receiving a dyesublimation image from a transfer media;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional diagram of the coated substrate shown inFIG. 2 after heat and pressure have caused the diffusion of the dye intothe polymer coating;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the now decorated substrate placed intoa curved jig to cause the acrylic substrate to curve under the influenceof gravity;

FIG. 5 is perspective diagram of the article showing how lightilluminates the image deposited on the surface of the article;

FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing the creation of a transfer mediahaving a dye sublimation image formed thereon; and,

FIG. 7 is a process diagram showing the manufacture of a curved acrylicarticle decorated with an image through dye sublimation.

** Applicant notes that all cross sectional views of the herein depictedportions of the invention are not drawn to scale in the horizontaldirection.**

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings for a better understanding of the function andstructure of the invention, FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view 10 of a0.177″ acrylic substrate 11 coated with a synthetic organic polymer 12applied thereon. Acrylic substrate 11 is an optically clearthermoplastic such as cell cast or extruded acrylic, or polycarbonate.The substrate must be capable of being thermoformed and be of highoptical clarity. The organic polymer 12 is a clear acrylic urethanecoating modified by the addition of a light scattering pigment 13 thatrenders it a white translucent, partially opaque coating. The lightscattering pigment 13 incudes nano-sized particles of titanium dioxidehaving an average particle size of 100 nm at a loading level of 20% byweight of solids. The coating 12 is applied by spraying onto the acrylic11 resulting in a dry film buildup of 0.004″. In the preferredembodiment, the coating dries at room temperate with a catalyzedreaction to induce polymerization.

Coating 12 must be capable of bonding with the acrylic substrate 11, butpossess sufficient flexibility to allow the coated article to be formedinto a curved shape while heated. Suitable coating bases are acrylic orurethane, or a hybrid mixture of both. The coating should either beextruded directly onto the product or applied by conventional coatingdeposition procedures such as spraying, curtain deposition, or aflow-over deposition. The coating may be cured either by low temperaturethermal activation, or the application of a chemical catalyst, which ispreferred. The coating 12 ideally is not cured by photo-initiated orelectron-beam initiated reaction because polymers cured in this mannergenerally do not possess the ability to be heated and shape-formed aftercuring without cracking or delamination.

Coating 12 also includes light scattering additives 13. For a finaldecorated article to exhibit the desired optical characteristics thecoating must include particulate that is capable of scattering light, asopposed to reflecting the light. Suitable light scattering particulatesinclude aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, calciumcarbonate, kaolin clay, ceramic nanoparticles, cerium oxide and otherwhite appearance particulate. Importantly, each particulate must be lessthan 400 nm in size so that each is smaller than any visible wavelengthof light. This results in the particulate having a higher refractiveindex than the clear coating that supports the particles, resulting insuitable light scattering. Also the particulate should be white incolor, and also renders the acrylic more scratch resistance. In thepreferred embodiment the particle additive is nano-particles of aluminumoxide. The loading level of the particulate should be sufficient toimpart whiteness and a degree of opacity, but not of such concentrationsthat the coating ceases to be translucent or partially transparent.Therefore, nanoparticles in a range of 60 nm-200 nm at a loading levelof between 10% and 30% by weight of solids of the coating are preferred.

Coating thickness is also important. The coating 12 must be thick enoughto allow the light attenuation caused by the particulate containedwithin it to render the article white and to allow the dyes, in concertwith the particulate, to render a degree of opacity. This generallyrequires a coating thickness of at least 0.0015″, but preferably greaterthan 0.0025″ in thickness. The coating should not however be greaterthan 0.005″ because as disperse dyes may fail to properly diffusethrough the coating. The consequence of this is that the whitenessimparted by the particulate present between the acrylic interface andthe threshold of the dye saturated part of the coating film causes ahazing of the image when viewed from non-coated side of the acrylicsubstrate. Therefore the optimal thickness of the coating is between0.003″ and 0.0045″.

Referring now to FIG. 2 is may be seen the coated acrylic piece 10 fromFIG. 1 now positioned in an arrangement 15 within a heat press 20prepared to receive the transfer of a graphic image 16 from a printedtransfer paper media 17. The layering from the top of the stack ofelements depicted in this cross sectional view includes a steel heatplaten 19 heated to 365 degrees F., a porous PTFE coated Fiberglasssheet 18 to protect the platen 19 and provide for a breathable interfacebetween the platen 19 and the transfer paper 17. Below the breatherliner 18 is transfer paper 17 having an image 16 printed thereon withdisperse dyes that may be deposited via a suitable inkjet printer. Thepaper is oriented with print side facing downward against the coatedside 12 of the coated substrate 11 as described in FIG. 1. The substrate11 is supported by a porous ceramic insulation layer 22 which preventsheat from dissipating from the acrylic below it. The ceramic insulation22 furthermore allows for moisture of other gases to wick from thesubstrate 11 during the heating process.

As shown in FIG. 3, disperse dyes 16 held by transfer paper 17 haveturned into gases by a sublimation phase change process and havediffused into the receptive polymer coating 12 thoroughly until reachingthe surface of acrylic substrate 11. This occurs after the assembly hasbeen subject to 365 degrees F. for 2 minutes under a pressure of 20 PSI,and results in a decorated acrylic article 25 having a flat or planarshape when removed from the heat press 20.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it may be seen that article 25 has been removedfrom the heat press arrangement 15 following transfer of the image intothe coating 12 and the now decorated article 25 has been placed on acurved metal jig 32 lined with a porous ceramic insulation 22 of thesame nature as employed in the heat press arrangement 15. The article25, being of a temperature well exceeding its softening point and havingbeen exposed to sufficient heat to raise the entirety of it to a uniformtemperature, is placed on and has been conformed to the shape of themetal jig 32 under the influence of gravity. A flat weight 34 comprisinga piece of aluminum has been placed upon the acrylic article 25 in sucha manner as to only touch the article 25 at its edges and with minimalweight applied to prevent the article 25 from warping as it cools. It isnecessary to place a weight 34 on the cooling acrylic article 25 toprevent it from warping as it cools. The weight comprising a piece ofmetal such as aluminum sits on top of the acrylic and rests on each ofthe left and right edges of the acrylic as shown. If the weight 34 istoo light it will not prevent the warping from taking place, but if itis too heavy it can damage the delicate edges of the heated article 25.

The jig 32 may be any metal material capable of being fabricated into acurve. Relatively thin aluminum sheet is ideal for the jig 32, but anymetal material capable of being formed in a curved fashion issatisfactory. The jig has a radius equal to the radius desired for thefinished acrylic article 25, and may be convex or concave in shape andinclude multiple curves as may be understood. However, the inventor hasdiscovered that in the herein described process the acrylic article 25generally should not include wave shapes that exceed 11 oscillations per16 inches of lineal acrylic substrate to avoid damage. As shown, the jigis lined with a porous fabric or paper material 22 that acts as a linerto facilitate uniform cooling of the article 25 as heat is drawn out ofthe acrylic and into the ambient air above it. The material 22 alsoallows heated air to be pulled out of the acrylic via a gap 23 betweenthe article surface and the weight as shown.

FIG. 5 shows the article 33 now cooled into its curved shape andpositioned on a flat surface in an upright position, as potentially on atable top surface. A light source 28 such as from ambient light in alighted room shines onto the front and back of the article surface withthe light being scattered 38 within the dyed polymer 37, therebyilluminating the image formed by the transferred dye. The edges 36 ofthe acrylic article 33 also reflect the light reflected from the image37 providing a mirroring effect 36 when the article 33 is viewed fromits side. Responsive to the type of particulate used within the coatingand the loading of that particulate, the decorated article 33 is easilyilluminated and the image discerned from either its front or back.

Referring now to FIG. 6, it may be seen that the transfer media 17 withdispersible ink 16 shown in arrangement 15 of FIG. 2 includes apreparation process 40 to arrive at a suitable combination. After animage for printing is selected 42, a step of image optimization 43 isinitiated to compensate for the dye sublimation process. In particular,what may seem to be an excellent image on the transfer media 17 likelywill have characteristics too weak to result in an image in thedecorated article due to it being washed out or insufficiently vibrant.This is because nano-composite particles in the translucent coating aremilky or frosted in appearance which renders a seemingly well printedimage washed out due to light scattering effects. Hence, additional andexaggerated brilliance/saturation, and some darkening, are necessary tocompensate for the additional light scattering and to render anattractive image in the final imaged coating 12 (see FIG. 3).

Direct printing inks such as UV curable pigmented inks do not providesufficient translucency, depth, and flexibility for the herein disclosedprocess. However, disperse dyes are satisfactory and the preferredcolorants, and can be printed onto a paper or film transfer medium viaan inkjet printer. As is known, disperse dyes sublimate when heated anddiffuse into synthetic organic polymers, such as the coating 12 appliedto the acrylic substrate 11.

The optimized image in step 43 is then printed using disperse dyes ontoa transfer media (typically paper) 44, and then dried with forced air orconvection heating. The transfer media and image are now ready forutilization in process 50 of FIG. 7 at insert point A 47.

The process 50 shown in FIG. 7 is a manufacturing process to produce adecorated curved article 25 made of acrylic as displayed on a table topshown in FIG. 5. Initially, the thickness of the acrylic substrate isselected 52. The acrylic substrate is coated 53 with a synthetic organicpolymer containing light scattering particulate 55 sufficient to renderit white in appearance, while retaining a degree of translucence asdiscussed above. The coated acrylic substrate is then cured 54 andprinted transfer media is applied 56 from source A 47 and placed in aheat press for activation.

Pursuant to the layered assembly 15 of FIG. 2, heat and pressure causesmigration of the dyes 16 through sublimation and then diffusion into theadjacent polymer 12. The lower, uncoated side of the acrylic substrate11 is preserved from damage during the heating cycle with an underlyingporous ceramic insulation 22. Within the layering of assembly 15, PTFEcoated fiberglass in thin sheets are used to protect the heat pressplaten 19 and to prevent items during compression such as consumableslike tape from sticking to the platen 19. A porous sheet is preferred,and forms an upper layer 18 between the platen 19 and transfer paper 17(see FIG. 2). Under the sheet 18 the printed transfer paper 17 withprinted side of disperse ink 16 is positioned against the coated side 12of the acrylic substrate 11. The uncoated side of the acrylic istherefore is positioned beneath and is supported by a porous, inorganiccloth 22. Heat press rubber or silicone matting are attached to anunheated fixed platen (not shown) beneath the insulating layer 22 tosupport the assembly 15. The insulation layer must be positioned aboveany silicone or rubber or foam pad on the platen, and the insulatinglayers 22 must be porous and not be susceptible to heating to avoiddamage to the acrylic 11.

A correct combination of heat, pressure, and time is required tothoroughly transfer the disperse dyes into the coating while notdamaging the acrylic substrate 11. The sublimation thermal transferprocess requires an operating temperature significantly higher than thesoftening point of the acrylic. For acrylic to remain stable over time,and to maintain its appearance, the acrylic substrate must be heateduniformly over the entire substrate and in a single heating exposure(i.e. heated only once). Use of a commercially available heat pressconfiguration shown in FIG. 2 with a heated platen 19 providing heatfrom above the substrate and a ceramic insulator below 22 provides asatisfactory environment to accomplish the heating cycle to transfer thedye into coating 12 while not damaging the substrate 11 below. Theceramic insulator below 22 is comprised of ceramic paper or otherinorganic porous insulating media, such as glass fiber or woven ceramic.Ceramic paper can include the use of ⅛″ ceramic paper as is commonlyused in kiln firing or autoclave applications, or other heat stableporous materials and flame resistant materials such as Meta-Arimid™materials such as Nomex™ by Dupont are also suitable. While organicporous, woven or fibrous materials were evaluated, inorganic materialspossessed better heat stability and insulating properties and arepreferred.

The combination of the insulating properties below and the relativelylow heat conduction from the heated platen 19 above creates a suitablebarrier to protect the acrylic while providing uniform heating. Theacrylic substrate 11 is depressed into the ceramic cloth or fibrousmedia as the heating press 20 is lowered and pressed onto the materialsof the assembly 15. Due to the porous nature of the insulating material22, gases created by the heat of the assembly outgas, and any moistureor gas driven out of the acrylic substrate 11 during the heat presscycle is also wicked away by the porous insulator thus preventingsurface damage. The exact heat, pressure and time to accomplish thisvaries according to the thickness of the acrylic, however testsconducted by the inventor indicate that an optimal temperature is360-380 degrees F., with an optimal pressure of less than butapproaching 40 PSI, but preferably within a range of 5-20 PSI. Theamount of time to maintain this heat and pressure varies depending uponthe thickness of the acrylic substrate, with a typical application timeranging from 1 minute for thicknesses of less than 0.1″ and 2-2.5minutes for thicknesses of greater than 0.1 to 0.2″. Thicker panels ofacrylic, such as 1″ blocks require an application of at least 2 -3 perprocess.

Upon saturation of the coating 12 by the disperse dyes, the acrylicsubstrate 11 is removed from the assembly 15 and immediately placed inits now formable condition into a jig shaped according to the desiredshape of the decorated acrylic 57. The now decorated acrylic 25 underthe influence of the heat energy absorbed in the heat press assembly 15,and the weight of the article under the pull of gravity conforms to theshape of the jig 32. The conformed, but still softened article isprevented from warping by being held down with a weighted platen 34which encloses it against the jig 58. To prevent damage to the acrylicair flow is permitted above and below the article 25 with a gap betweenthe platen 34 above and a porous liner 22 below (see FIG. 4). Once theacrylic cools to a temperature below its softening point, typically lessthan 200 degrees F., warping should not occur and the acrylic articlecan be removed from the jig and prepared for packaging or use. Coolingwill typically take less than 5 minutes, but fan cooling may be utilizedto decrease cooling time. Once cooled 59 to below a temperature thatwould permit it to warp, the decorated acrylic 25 is removed from thejig 32 and the process is deemed complete 60.

The present invention thus provides for a curved acrylic article to beproduced with minimal process time, avoiding damage to the acrylicdespite the operating temperature and pressure of the process, andprevents warping during cooling, thus overcoming obstacles that priorhereto have prevented such a product from being produced and marketed.

While I have shown my invention in one form, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible ofvarious changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof.

Having set forth the nature of the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. Acurved decorated article, comprising: a. a planar plastic substratehaving a light scattering, dye receptive composite coating applied to atleast one face of said plastic substrate, wherein said composite coatingincludes a mixture of urethane polymer and light scattering particles,wherein said light scattering particles comprise an average size ofbetween 60 nm to 200 nm and are combined with said urethane at a loadinglevel of between 10% and 30% by weight of solids; b. through theapplication of heat and pressure to sublimate a disperse dye image heldby a transfer medium biased against said composite coating, a humandiscernable image diffused into and bonded to molecules below thesurface of said composite coating; and, c. after the heating of saidplastic substrate and placing said substrate onto a jig, causing saidsubstrate to form under the influence of gravity into a curved shapesuch that said formed article is capable of self-standing on a flatsurface along one of its curved edges.
 2. The article as recited inclaim 1, wherein said plastic substrate comprises acrylic.
 3. Thearticle as recited in claim 2, wherein said light scattering particlesare a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide,titanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, calcium carbonate, kaolin clay,ceramic nanoparticles, and cerium oxide.
 4. The article as recited inclaim 3, wherein said dye receptive coating comprises a thickness of atleast 0.0015 inches to cause reflective opacity to form in said coating.5. The article as recited in claim 3, wherein said dye receptive coatingcomprises a thickness of between 0.003 and 0.0045 inches.
 6. The articleas recited in claim 1, wherein said dye receptive coating resistscracking once said substrate is formed into a curved shape.
 7. Thearticle as recited in claim 1, wherein said human perceivable imagecomprises exaggerated brilliance and saturation of its colors tocompensate for light scattering effects cause by said dye receptivecoating.
 8. The article as recited in claim 1, wherein said action ofplacing said substrate onto a jig to curve said substrate includesplacing a weight upon a portion of said substrate to prevent warping insaid curved decorated article.
 9. The article as recited in claim 1,wherein said action of placing said substrate onto a jig includes thebiasing of a curved platen under the surface of said substrate such thatsaid substrate includes multiple curves in its shape.
 10. The article asrecited in claim 1, wherein said article includes a mirroring effectwhen viewed from its side due to the light reflected from said diffusedimage.
 11. A curved decorated article, comprising: a. means forproviding a planar plastic substrate, said substrate means having itsshape altered from a first planar state to a second curved state,wherein said substrate means includes a coating means applied on aportion of its surface for receiving a dye sublimated image fordiffusion therein, wherein said coating means comprises light scatteringparticles having an average size of between 60 nm to 200 nm; b. meansfor diffusing a human discernable image into said coating means throughthe application of heat and pressure to said image means biased againstsaid composite means; and, c. after the heating of said substrate meansand placing said substrate means onto a jig, causing said substratemeans to form under the influence of gravity into a curved shape suchthat said formed article is capable of self-standing on a flat surfacealong one of its curved edges.
 12. The article as recited in claim 11,wherein said coating means comprises a thickness of at least 0.0015inches to cause reflective opacity to form in said coating means. 13.The article as recited in claim 11, wherein said coating means comprisesa thickness of between 0.003 and 0.0045 inches.
 14. The article asrecited in claim 13, wherein said coating means includes no cracks uponsaid substrate means being formed into a curved shape.
 15. The articleas recited in claim 14, wherein said image means comprises exaggeratedbrilliance and saturation of its colors to compensate for lightscattering effects cause by said coating means.
 16. The article asrecited in claim 11, wherein said action of placing said substrate meansonto a jig to curve said substrate means includes placing a weight upona portion of said substrate to prevent warping in said curved decoratedarticle.
 17. The article as recited in claim 11, wherein said action ofplacing said substrate means onto a jig includes the biasing of a curvedplaten under the surface of said substrate means such that said articleincludes multiple curves in its shape.
 18. The article as recited inclaim 11, wherein said article includes a mirroring effect when viewedfrom its side due to light being reflected from said image means.
 19. Acurved decorated article, comprising: a. an acrylic substrate having asubstantially rectangular block form, said substrate beingthermoformable and of substantially high optical clarity; b. a dyereceptive, polymer coating applied to at least one face of saidsubstrate, said coating including nano-sized, light scattering particlessuspended in an acrylic bondable base, wherein said particles impart arefractive index higher than said base, and wherein said coating iscurable upon the application of heat; c. through the application of heatand pressure to sublimate a disperse dye image held by a transfer mediumbiased against said coating, a human discernable image diffused into andbonded to molecules within and below the surface of said coating; and,d. after the heating of said acrylic substrate and placing saidsubstrate onto a jig, causing said substrate to form under the influenceof gravity into a curved shape such that said formed article is capableof self-standing on a flat surface along one of its curved edges. 20.The article as recited in claim 19, wherein said light scatteringparticles comprise an average size of between 60 nm to 200 nm and arecombined with said base at a loading level of between 10% and 30% byweight of solids.